Job Description

Research Assistant in Planetary Ring Simulation - GROW Your Future Micro Internship
Closing Date: 05/01/2026
12.21 per hour 1.47 holiday pay
Advertising End Date
05 Jan 2026

• Research Assistant in Planetary Ring Simulation - GROW Your Future Micro Internship

Role & Department Overview
Eligibility
This micro internship is for 30 hours in total (including 4 hours for training) and is aimed at students who have limited professional prior work experience and are looking for an opportunity that supports them to develop their employability skills.
To apply for this micro internship, students must be part of GROW Your Future.
GROW Your Future is an opt-in scheme for UK undergraduates and postgraduate taught students who also meet specific Widening Participation criteria, e.g. students who are:

• first in their family to go to university;
• in receipt of a Lancaster Bursary;
• received free school meals
• over 21 when they start their first undergraduate degree;
• Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic;
• disabled (including learning disabilities, physical or mental health conditions);
• care leavers or have caring responsibilities, or estranged from family
• a refugee or asylum seeker, from a gypsy or Traveller community, or from a military family

For more information and to sign up see the following link
As stated above, the GROW Your Future Micro Internship Scheme aims to support students with limited professional work experience, therefore priority will be given to students who meet this criteria. This includes students who may have already completed a GYF micro internship.
Role Overview
The post-holder will work as part of the ongoing interdisciplinary art-science project on self-organisation in planetary rings, Ringmind ( ).
They will work primarily under the guidance of Principal Investigator (Sociology), but also be able to draw on the expertise of staff in the Department of Physics and the School of Computing and Communication).
They will use their computer coding skills to familiarise themselves with the main planetary-rings simulation code developed by the Ringmind project team, and to assist the Principal Investigator in developing new ideas for simulating planetary-ring dynamics, and visually rendering them.
At the heart of Ringmind is a complex ring simulation code that runs in the computer coding environment Processing. It generates visual (and sonic) simulations of evolving planetary ring systems, including the spontaneous kinds of structure-creation that is observed to occur in Saturn's rings. The visuals are scientifically accurate (using the physics of orbital motion), visually striking, and generated in real-time, with a graphical user interface, so that users can change the ring dynamics and see how they respond. The simulations are used for public performances and outreach events, and for speculative interdisciplinary research
(see e.g. ).
The hiring manager, Bronislaw Szerszynski, has been awarded a Javier and Marta Villavecchia Fellowship to spend three months at the Centre for Aesthetics, Religion and Contemporary Culture, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, developing new ways of thinking about planetary rings in dialogue with Medieval and Renaissance philosophy, especially the logical figures of Ramon Llull, with outputs including an academic event and publication, and a public installation at a cultural centre.
Preferred Start Date: 2nd February 2026
Expected End Date: 30th April 2026
Location: On the Lancaster University Campus and Remotely
Working Pattern: 4 hours per week (Flexible)

The post-holder will contribute to developing new computer code to feed into and support the fellowship activities. Under the guidance of the hiring manager, they will be primarily engaged in the following tasks:

• familiarising themselves with the overall goals of the Ringmind project
• familiarising themselves with the projects' ring simulation code
• generating and testing new ideas for simulations
• generating and testing new ideas for visual renderings of the simulations

Person Specification

• Computer programming skills (e.g., Python, Java, C++, Processing)
• Studying for a degree with mathematical elements (e.g., Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science)
• Interest in and basic understanding of orbital motion and the dynamics of planetary rings
• Capacity for creative thinking, and interest in visual renderings
• The ability to work both collaboratively and independently, and to meet deadlines
• Availability during February-April 2026

As this internship is aimed at students who do not have prior professional work experience, please draw upon examples from extra curricular activities, hobbies, interests, volunteering and part time work in your CV and cover letter.
Please also outline in your CV and cover letter why you believe this micro internship will benefit you and your career progression.
Working in this role will help develop the following skills and experience:

• Collaboration
• Research
• Creativity
• Planning and organising
• Problem solving
• Self-motivation
• Teamwork
• Time Management
• Verbal communication
• Written communication
• Knowledge Sharing

Unless specified otherwise in the advert wording, this role is only open to individuals living in the UK.
You are required to submit a to support your application.
Applications without a cover letter or will not be considered, please ensure your CV and cover letter are tailored to yourself and the role you are applying for.
Under the terms of this work, we endeavour to provide the advertised number of hours. However, hours are not guaranteed, and that work may cease if there is a fall in demand.
Adverts that display a closing date should be treated as a guide. We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so we advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment.
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Skills Required